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lang: en
type: TouristAttraction
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title: Tower of London
description: The landmark medieval fortress on the River Thames that served as a royal palace, prison, and secure jewel house.
llms_summary: "Tower of London. (London, Greater London, United Kingdom). TouristAttraction. Annual Visitors 2.8 million. Buffer Zone 143 ha. Category Type Cultural. Conservation Status Excellent. Epoch Origin Norman Conquest (11th C.). Latitude 51.51 °. Longitude -0.08 °. Primary Material Kentish Ragstone. Property Area 6 ha. UNESCO ID 488. Year Inscribed 1988. Best for British royal historians, medieval fortification researchers, and urban heritage educators.  The landmark medieval fortress on the River Thames that served as a royal palace, prison, and secure jewel house.  canonical profile on Chrisyst Datasets"
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    role: subject
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    name: Tower of London
    type: TouristAttraction
    profile_url: "https://datasets.chrisyst.com/tower-of-london/index.md"
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---
# Tower of London

The landmark medieval fortress on the River Thames that served as a royal palace, prison, and secure jewel house.

## Record

- **Title**: [Tower of London](https://datasets.chrisyst.com/tower-of-london/index.md)
- **Geo target**: London, Greater London, United Kingdom
- **Website**: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/488
- **Address**: St Katharine's & Wapping, London, Greater London, EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom
- **Coordinates**: 51.5081, -0.0759

### Summary

The landmark medieval fortress on the River Thames that served as a royal palace, prison, and secure jewel house.

### Description

## Citadel of Royal Might

The White Tower, the iconic central keep, measures approximately 36 meters (118 ft) by 32 meters (105 ft) at its base and rises to a height of 27 meters (89 ft) at its battlements. Constructed primarily from Kentish Ragstone and Caen stone imported from France, its walls are up to 4.6 meters (15 ft) thick at the base. This formidable structure, completed around 1080, served as a royal residence, a powerful fortress, and a symbol of Norman dominance, establishing a new standard for military architecture in England.

Beyond the White Tower, the complex encompasses several concentric rings of defensive walls and towers, including the infamous Traitors' Gate, through which prisoners entered, and the Bloody Tower, associated with the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. Today, the Tower houses the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House, guarded by the Yeoman Warders, and functions as a living museum. Its rich history as a royal palace, prison, and place of execution, coupled with its architectural significance, earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 1988.

### Attributes

- **Annual Visitors**: 2.8 million _(quality 85)_
- **Buffer Zone**: 143 ha _(quality 45)_
- **Category Type**: Cultural
- **Conservation Status**: Excellent
- **Epoch Origin**: Norman Conquest (11th C.)
- **Latitude**: 51.51 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Longitude**: -0.08 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Primary Material**: Kentish Ragstone
- **Property Area**: 6 ha _(quality 35)_
- **UNESCO ID**: 488
- **Year Inscribed**: 1988 _(quality 94)_